The Leader
by trapt-tage
Summary: Oneshot to Reno of the Turks. Telling of what Reno really thinks while he contemplates the loss of what was possibly a family member. Spoilers for first disk. Fourth in a series.


AN: Does anyone know how to get the asterisk symbol, or the equals symbol to show up in the text once you submit a chapter to The formatting is driving me nuts and not letting me do it.

Discliamer: I don't onw FFVII.

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You prick. You dead prick.

You stood up Elena. Did ya know that, ya stiff? She had even come to _me_ to ask if she had looked alright, and you didn't even show. Yer a real Prick…

You'd think the moral is: oh well. It was fun while it lasted; at least you made some friends from this Turk gig. But no, I got some heart-broken little girl and some ex-partner who's prolly sittin' in some bar sub-plate getting sloshed 'cause he knows it's up to only me and him to step up and take care of poor Elena. Everyone knows you were better with her than any of us, but instead of you comforting her, we gotta do it. And what's worse is, we gotta teach her all the rest of what bein' a Turk really is. Yeah, you showed her the basics, but now she has to learn the tough stuff, and your not here to teach her. She has to know why it's not worth it to have a real heart as a Turk. Damn you, Prick, that's the hardest one. Why'd you leave it up to me, huh?

I mean, that's what makes us the Turks. It's what makes us different than any other group – that we don't _die_. You never let us. Me, you, Rude and even Elena were that much closer than any others just because you kept us alive. There ain't no gangs that - after they've finished a job and are running so fast their legs are on fire - stop and make sure everyone's there. Hell, I'll be damned if there's even a bastard down in those slums that does a head-count to see if all those brats he just may have fathered are home at the end of the day.

But you, Prick, you made sure we came back. You made sure we were all accounted for and took care that we got home at night. So why are you dead! How could _you_ die! You were the cautious one! The one that did everything step-by-step and always followed procedure. So how could you have died and not me! You were the one who always did everything right, and whose only flaw was that he was perfect. Prick, I can't even put a suit on as well as you! Dammit! I can't take your place; I can't be what you were, I'm not good enough! I know Rude isn't gonna see me like he saw you. Rude is always gonna see me as the one that he was to make stop drinking most times so that I'll be able to go to work in the morning. And Elena…Oh God, I'll never be the idol you were to Elena. Even if I wanted her to, she'd never be able to replace you with me.

But Prick, the thing that drives it home is that not even _I_ can think of myself as like you. I don't think of myself as the leader and I can't think of myself as your replacement. Every time I sit down in that chair I can't think I'm in the leader's office - what would be _my_ new office - no, I think I'm sitting in _your_ office, something no one does. I've never sat in your chair before, how can I just magically make it mine?

Prick…I remember Rufus himself comin', with Reeve in tow, up to me and telling me about what happened at the temple, and how I had to go find Rude and Elena and tell them the bad news. Just like that. The Pres. made it that quick. I remember getting so mad I coulda screamed, but instead I asked why the Hell I had to do it. Why did I have to tell them what they didn't want to hear? And instead of slapping or firing me for insubordination, Rufus looked me in the eye and gave me a real answer. He said to me, "'He's dead and that makes you the leader. A leader has to say what needs to be said. I'm here to tell you and you're here to tell them.' Turk, that's what they told me, and it's what I follow."

Yeah, I told Rude…he was silent as he left. He went below the plate to some slums bar. I remember seein' him in a bar down there only one other time…

Then I found Elena. I listened to her sob the whole drive home. That was that. Rude was drunk in a bar, Elena was crushed in her apartment, and I was lost in paperwork back at yo_the_ office. Why aren't I out drinking with my partner? First off because he's not my partner anymore, now he works with Elena. And besides, I can't go out and get plast—_inebriated_ every night. I'm the leader now. Leaders don't do that. I'm you now, Tseng.

"_All's well that ends well."_

_Cassie, what the fuck were you talking about? All's not well if it ends._

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AN: And so it ends. The fourth out of four is up, so don't expect more from this.

Oh, and if anyone remembers that little thing I said about a hint in #2, it was simply one word: was. There was one sentance ('And I say there isn't a soul alive that was better than Tseng.') that, if read carefully, will tell you that - not only was this last piece written after Tseng, but all _four_ of them were.

But let me know what you thought and if you see anyhting that needs fixing be sure to tell me that too. This little series may be over, but it's not dead (to me at least). If you have any suggestions for me from here go ahead and send those as well, I like having something to write when I've got freetime.

Anda good pecentage of you considered going back to re-read that 'was' sentance.


End file.
